POLICY BOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
List of policies: 1. SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability Policy
2. ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AREA:
Risk Management Policy
Quality Policy
3. SOCIAL AREA:
Human Rights Policy
Human Resources and Occupational Health and Safety
Policy
4. ENVIRONMENTAL AREA:
Environment Policy
SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
Statement of intent
GPES is a company with a pioneering, entrepreneurial spirit, committed to sustainable development through the
creation, development and management of infrastructures, energy, water and services, actively contributing to social
well-being, environmental balance and economic progress.
GPES, aware of the challenges facing humanity and the difficulty of getting a global sustainable development
model, takes on the responsibility of mitigating new risks, but also responding successfully to new opportunities that
stem from these challenges.
Our commitment goes beyond the bottom line and points towards more ambitious goals of creating shared value in
the long term for society.
This document serves as a comprehensive policy framework setting out the principles for other GPES policies.
Principles • Ethics and responsibility in business — GPES promotes ethical and sustainable work from its own business,
always acting from an outlook of precaution and economic, social and environmental risk minimization.
• Financial strength and long-term approach — GPES understands sustainability as a long-term commitment that
reinforces the principle of economic and financial stability.
• Respect for fundamental human rights — GPES rejects any form of human right abuse or violation between
employees, suppliers, contractors, collaborators, partners, competitors and society at large, promoting equality of
opportunity and non-discrimination.
• Value creation for communities where it operates — GPES aims to provide value in the geographical areas
where it operates, through the development of business models that contribute to its social development.
• Caring for the environment and fighting climate change — In order to reduce the impact of its operations,
GPES seeks the highest level of environmental efficiency in all projects undertaken, raising awareness among
employees of the integration of this variable in decision making and business operations.
• Integration of Sustainability — GPES understands sustainability as an issue that must be present in all business
areas and organizational levels of the company, with a spill-over effect to customers, suppliers, partners and other
stakeholders.
• Innovation — GPES fosters innovation as a cornerstone of business development, striving for sustainable
solutions in technology and operational areas.
• Dialogue with stakeholders — GPES holds regular and fluid dialogue with its customers, collecting and
responding to their expectations, including the most relevant ones into its sustainability strategy.
• Transparency in communication and accountability — GPES provides transparent, accurate and rigorous
information to its customers.
Sustainability Committee
27th January, 2017
ECONOMIC AND
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE
RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
Statement of intent
The GPES Board of Directors boosts the risk management process, in order to identify and assess potential events that
may affect the Company, manage them within accepted tolerance thresholds and provide reasonable assurance
regarding target achievement.
This policy aims to integrate risk management within GPES strategy and establish the framework and principles of the
Risk Management System.
This policy covers all the risks associated with the activities carried out by the GPES business lines in all
geographic areas where it operates.
Principles
System framework — Every action aimed at identifying, assessing, prioritizing, discussing, reviewing or controlling risks
should fall within the Risk Management System and comply with the following principles:
• Promoting a culture of risk-opportunity in company management through the Risk Management System.
• Homogenization and centralization of the Company’s risk management.
• Include the results of analysis and risk assessment within GPES strategy and decision making
• Tolerance level — GPES will favor achieving business objectives within the accepted risk tolerance level.
• Protection of interests — Risk management will seek to defend the interests of shareholders, customers and other
company stakeholders.
• Accountability — Risk management will be accountable in a transparent manner with regulators and other external
agents.
• Ensure compliance with current corporate regulations and legislation.
• Resource upgrading, treatment and optimization — The updating and management of risks will be done by
coordinating the flow of information with business lines as well as the optimization of resources devoted to this
effort.
• Periodic review — Analysis of the organization’s commitment to risk management.
Sustainability Committee
27th January, 2017
QUALITY POLICY
Statement of intent
GPES is committed to providing value to its customers through excellent business process management, taking
responsibility to ensure compliance with legal requirements and voluntary guidelines. The company aims to be a
pioneer and a benchmark of best practices, giving top priority to the continuous quality improvement of its products
and services.
The culture of process quality and efficiency extends across all divisions and countries where GPES operates.
Principles
The Quality Policy is based on the following principles:
• Alignment — The quality objectives are aligned with the company’s mission, vision and strategy.
• Commitment to Sustainability — GPES extends to customers its commitment to sustainability: promoting
environmental improvements, fostering responsible consumption and offering beneficial products and services
from a social and environmental perspective.
• Health and safety — GPES applies maximum stringency in the quality control of its products and services,
minimizing risks of use, contributing to the health and safety of its consumers.
• Quality of life — GPES contributes to the systematic improvement of quality of life, increasing the availability of
essential products and services, creating environments that can be enjoyed by everyone, including people with
disabilities.
• Customer satisfaction — GPES listens to its customers and meets their expectations, incorporating their
recommendations to the company’s products and services to continually improve their level of satisfaction.
• The company develops process operational innovations to improve productivity, create economic value and
contribute to sustainable development.
Sustainability Committee
27th January, 2017
SOCIAL AREA
HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY
Statement of intent
GPES supports, respects and contributes to the protection of international human rights, making sure not to be
complicit in any form of abuse or violation thereof, between employees, suppliers, contractors, collaborators, partners,
competitors and society at large.
GPES is committed to respecting human rights and public freedoms recognized in the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
Through its commitment to the Global Compact of the United Nations, it undertakes to support and defend the
fulfilment and protection of human rights and to promote the adoption of these principles and values in companies
where it is involved, even in those it doesn’t control, as well as among its suppliers, contractors and partners.
Principles • Legality of all actions - GPES does not participate in actions that compromise or jeopardize strict legality and
ethical principles.
• Rejection of any form of discrimination — GPES does not accept any discrimination on the basis of age, race,
color, gender, religion, political opinion, nationality, sexual orientation, social origin or disability.
• Respect for people (rejection of forced labor, child labor and lack of freedoms) — GPES, by adopting employment
practices consistent with the conventions of the International Labour Organization, prohibits forced labor in all its
forms. GPES promotes safe childhood, eradicating child labor through its minimum employment requirements.
GPES defends the freedom of affiliation, association and the effective recognition of the right to collective
bargaining.
• Quality and safety of services — GPES ensures that services and products it provides do not pose a risk to the
safety and health of workers, customers and communities for whom they are intended and undertakes to correct
any discrepancy.
• Defense, promotion and dissemination of Rights — GPES rejects any manifestation of physical, psychological or
moral bullying, abuse of authority, or any other conduct that intimidates or offends the rights of individuals. It
also promotes respect for human rights among those societies and communities where it operates and promotes
dignified and respectful conduct for everyone, internally and externally.
• Commitment to others — GPES promotes respect for these rights in its supply chain through the Ethical
Principles and the commercial relations with its suppliers, contractors and collaborators.
• Supervision and cooperation with the authorities — GPES, via its Code of Conduct Commission, monitors and
corrects any human rights abuse and, if necessary, raises the issue to the courts involved, assisting them fully at all
times.
• Due diligence — GPES actions are conducted with due diligence in order to avoid violating the rights of
others and to mitigate the negative consequences of its activities.
• Commitment and formalization — Through its Code of Conduct and its specific procedures to protect against
workplace harassment and sexual harassment, GPES establishes systems and procedures for identifying, reporting,
protecting and suppressing activities or conduct contrary to established basic social rights and ethical principles. Sustainability Committee
27th January, 2017
HUMAN RESOURCES AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY
Statement of intent
• GPES prioritizes ethical behavior and safety as hallmarks and differential values of its way of working and is also
committed with the success and professional development of its employees, continuing to invest in them in order to
have the best talent.
• GPES ensures that Human Rights are upheld (reflected in GPES Human Rights Policy) and principles governed by the
International Labour Organization and the State of Kuwait Labour Laws, as well as the safety and welfare of all its
employees.
•For GPES, the prevention of occupational risks is a differentiator and an absolute requirement to ensure the
safety and health of its employees and partners.
• GPES is aware of the development of its activities in industries where occupational hazards are widely present and
that is why it has declared its support for the objectives of the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work.
Principles
•High ethical standards — As one of the company’s main operating catalysts, GPES promotes ethical values of
respect, cooperation, teamwork and behavior patterns contained in the Code of Conduct.
•Respect for people (rejection of forced labor, child labor and lack of freedoms) — GPES, by adopting employment
practices consistent with the conventions of the International Labour Organization, prohibits forced labor in all its
forms. GPES combats child labor through its employment requirements.
•Promotion of effective equality — GPES promotes the recruitment of the best professionals, ensuring real
equality of opportunity, recognition of personal skills and professional merit and rejecting any discrimination on the
grounds of age, race, color, sex, religion, political opinion, nationality, sexual orientation, social origin or disability.
•Promoting competitive working conditions — GPES provides fair and equitable remuneration, and professional
competitive conditions. It also has talent detection and retaining plans, with development programs for its employees,
to encourage the acquisition of new knowledge and management methods, as well as the development of new skills
and competencies.
•Freedom of association and bargaining — GPES promotes and respects freedom of association and collective
bargaining rights in the workplace and stipulates so in its Code of Conduct.
•Promote work-life balance - GPES A promotes a balance between the professional and personal lives of its
employees by offering flexible mechanisms that promote the welfare of workers and their environment according to
best practices in the sectors where they work.
•Implementation of socially responsible procurement — GPES boasts recruitment plans that encourage hiring
groups at risk of social exclusion and people with disabilities.
•Value Creation — By promoting hiring local workers, preferably in the project’s area of influence, GPES seeks to
create added value to societies within the area of operation.
• Ensure the best working conditions for employees — From compliance with laws and regulations on wages and
working hours, respecting the rights of all workers in applicable standards and agreements, and ensuring a healthy
work environment.
• Continuous Occupational Health and Safety improvement — GPES promotes and disseminates its Prevention
Management System in its own activities, as well as those of partner companies, in order to achieve the technical
goal of zero accidents. GPES also provides its employees and its partner companies with the education,
training and material resources for the prevention of occupational hazards, so they can develop their activities
safely and without risk to their health.
• Identification and analysis of risks — To prevent and/or reduce exposure to risks, GPES undertakes specific
studies in work centers and workspaces and implements preventive measures.
• Delegation of responsibilities — GPES acts as facilitator of means and resources to ensure Health and Safety,
with the commitment and responsibility of GPES workers to ensure their own safety and that of others.
• Dissemination of best practices — GPES publishes information on the risks associated with its centers and
workplaces as well as the preventive and emergency measures to implement, especially in relation to its suppliers,
contractors and collaborators.
• Accreditation development — GPES promotes accreditation of all its activities in accordance with the highest
health and safety standards, based on OHSAS 18001 standards.
• GPES also promotes health and well-being through specific policies to promote healthy behaviors in terms of
diet, exercise promotion, and development of preventive medical plans.
Sustainability Committee
27th January, 2017
ENVIRONMENTAL AREA
ENVIRONMENT POLICY
Statement of intent
The preservation and respect for the environment is one of GPES’s basic pillars of action, apparent in the
company’s compliance with the best environmental practices in all its activities, through the prevention and
minimization of adverse environmental impacts and conservation of natural resources.
GPES 's environmental strategy is structured around the commitment against climate change, promoting energy
saving, rationalization of water use and management, responsible use of resources, effective waste management,
pollution prevention and protection of the natural environment and biodiversity.
Principles • Comply with environmental legislation as a basic premise of GPES 's commitment to the environment.
• Reduced environmental impact — GPES takes care of environmental aspects in all stages of development of the
company's activities in order to minimize the impact on the environment, promoting the rational use of
resources at all times.
• Promoting sustainable business — GPES promotes business development opportunities based on renewable
generation, development of new clean technologies and focused on energy savings, offering solutions to meet
water imbalances.
• Efficiency and excellence — GPES promotes efficiency and excellence in internal management with the
implementation of an environmental management system that integrates economic, technical and social aspects,
with a clear focus on continuous improvement.
• Risk management — GPES manages environmental risks through a plan of ongoing identification, evaluation and
control.
• Environmental Awareness and Protection — GPES promotes collaboration in protecting the environment,
developing awareness - raising, training and outreach activities for employees and stakeholders.
• Reducing the supply chain impact — GPES promotes the involvement of its suppliers in projects aimed at
environmental protection to reduce the impacts of its supply chain.
• Transparency — GPES reports its environmental actions in a transparent manner by publishing public documents
targeting its stakeholders.
• Monitoring and measurement — GPES develops the necessary indicators to obtain quantifiable information in
order to help implement actions to improve its products, services and management processes at all times and
promoting rational use of resources and maximum efficiency with the best technologies available.
Sustainability Committee
27th January, 2017